


The Promise

by PlanetClare



Series: The Triangle Trilogy [2]
Category: Black Widow (Comics), Captain America (Comics), Marvel (Comics), Winter Soldier (Comics), winterwidow - Fandom
Genre: Anxiety, Assassins & Hitmen, Avengers - Freeform, BMW, Best Friends, Bionic Arm, Bucky Barnes - Freeform, Bucky Barnes Feels, Bucky Barnes Has Cats, Bucky Barnes Has Issues, Bucky Barnes Has PTSD, Bucky Barnes Needs a Hug, Conflict, Cybernetics, Drama, Drama & Romance, F/M, Friendship, Love, Lovers, Man Out of Time, Old Friends, Original Character - Freeform, Regrets, Spies & Secret Agents, Sébastien the Cat - Freeform, Trust Issues
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-02-21
Updated: 2016-02-21
Packaged: 2018-05-22 13:06:24
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,422
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6080493
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PlanetClare/pseuds/PlanetClare
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Bucky Barnes, the Winter Soldier, decides to do something for himself for once.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Promise

At _Portfolio_ coffee shop several blocks from Bucky’s tiny, dank bachelor’s apartment, a middle-aged man in black slacks and a white dress shirt approached the 5 foot, 10 inch blonde sitting at a table in the back corner.

“May I buy you a coffee?” the man asked as he stood in front of her.

Glancing up from her electronic tablet, she stared at him through sunglasses with yellow lenses which caused her blue eyes to appear green.

“Got one. Thanks,” she said as she returned her attention to the tablet.

“Well, maybe I could get your number and we could grab a bite to eat then,” he suggested to the 120 pound woman who he was certain was a super model.

Suddenly, the man felt someone breathing in his left ear. Before he could turn around, he heard a deep voice speak to him.

“The lady said ‘no.’”

Slowly turning, the man was eye-to-eye with a 6 foot tall, muscular, younger man with a day’s worth of beard and dark, neck-length hair which was obscuring the right side of his face. Dressed in all black, he wore a leather jacket, t-shirt, jeans, and knee-high biker boots. He looked to be approximately 25-years-old and gazed at the man with a merciless stare which indicated that he tolerated no nonsense.

As he looked at the younger man, the older one began to tremble and decided to make a hasty exit.

“I was handling that on my own, you know,” said Dr. Barbara “Bobbi” Morse to her friend Bucky Barnes as he pulled a chair away from the table and sat across from her.

“Yeah, but he wasn’t leaving fast enough for me,” Bucky replied dryly.

Bobbi slid a cup of coffee to him without looking up from her tablet.

“Is this –?”

“House blend. Black. No sugar. Just the way you like it,” she stated.

“What are you doing?” he asked gazing down at her tablet.

“Just going over some data from the intel that I collected at that A.I.M. warehouse. Thanks again for the extraction, by the way,” Bobbi replied as she turned off the device to give him her full attention.

“Care to share? After all, I risked my life to get you and that intel to safety,” he remarked expecting what her answer would be.

“It’s on a ‘need-to-know’ basis, soldier. You know that,” she said with a grin. “When I finish analyzing it, I’ll present the data to Dr. Hank Pym, Dr. Reed Richards, and Tony Stark – all the ‘big brains.’”

Bucky admired her superior intellect but simply shrugged his shoulders and took a sip of his still hot coffee.

“So, why did you ask me here?” the lovely scientist queried leaning back in her chair and looking comfortable in blue jeans, a white shell top, and a blue denim jacket.

“I just wanted to clear the air and tell you that I gave some thought to what you asked me the other day before our debriefings,” the assassin replied.

Without interrupting, she took a sip of her vanilla latte.

“I want you to know that I like you, Bobbi. I like you a _lot,”_ he began.

She removed her sunglasses, placed them on the table, and stared into his blue eyes.

“If I weren’t with Natasha...” he said as he broke their gaze and looked down at the table.

She rested her right hand on his cloaked left one but did not interrupt him.

“I don’t want to cheat on her,” he confessed quietly as he slowly pulled his hand away too ashamed to look her in the eye.

Finally speaking, Bobbi said, “I don’t want you to do anything that doesn’t feel right for you – that you’re not comfortable with.”

“It’s just that she knows what I’ve been through and she understands.”

“So do I. So do other people. Why can’t you see that?” she asked earnestly.

“You’d be surprised by how many people _say_ they understand, but they really _don’t.”_  

“Why do you keep denying yourself happiness? Why do you deny yourself love? You deserve it like everyone else does – even more so _because_ of what you’ve been through,” she insisted.

“Most people don’t see it that way,” he replied.

“Who _cares_ what other people think, Bucky? You can’t live your life based on that!”

“It matters to me what other people think – people like Steve, Nick, Natasha, Daisy, and...and you, Bob. I want all of you to think of me as the good guy I once was and hope to be again."

Studying his face, she thought of their friend Daisy Johnson (codename: Quake) and how when the three were on vacation in Hawaii together, she and Daisy would have given their eye teeth to be with him the way that Bobbi was right now.

“People who care about you see the good in you – the good that was always there even when you were brainwashed into doing the wrong things. We know it wasn’t your fault, Bucky.”

He loved the way that she called him ‘Bucky’ – the nickname that he preferred over his real name ‘James.’ She had a way of saying it softly – almost lovingly.

Like the assassin, the scientist preferred to be called by her nickname as well and always bristled when someone called her ‘Barbara’ rather than ‘Bobbi.’

While he frowned at his coffee, she decided to change the subject.

“So, where is ‘she’ today?”

 _“‘She’_   is on an Avengers mission,” he replied not looking up at her.

“Oh, is that why you wanted to see me today?” Bobbi asked.

“It made this more convenient,” he admitted.

“I see. So, out of curiosity, what constitutes ‘cheating’ on her?” asked the scientist.

After a sigh, Bucky replied evenly, “In _her_  mind, talking to you or to any other woman about anything other than mission-specific issues.

“Interesting. That leaves a very small margin for non-cheating activity. What about _you?_ What do _you_ think constitutes ‘cheating?’”

Bucky looked at her for a long time studying the way her long, blonde hair fell over her shoulders. He admired the natural blush of her lips and the set of her graceful jaw. He thought that without wearing any makeup, she was easily the most beautiful woman in the shop.

The assassin gazed deep into her eyes and saw that as she looked back, it was without any pressure or expectations of him.

Finally speaking, he said, “Come with me,” as he rose from his chair.

Surprised, the scientist stared at him for a moment and then slipped her tablet into a small backpack. Standing, she followed Bucky as he walked through the coffee shop toward the front door.

As he walked past them, women stopped what they were doing to watch the handsome, rugged young man go by.

“Where are we going?” Bobbi asked.

Ignoring her question, Bucky strode toward his Harley motorcycle, Winnifred, which he named after his beloved mother.

“I’ll follow you in my car, shall I?” Bobbi suggested as she turned toward her white BMW.

Before she could take two steps, Bucky grabbed her left arm and pulled her back toward his motorcycle.

Gently, he placed his helmet on her head and then straddled the bike.

“Get on!” he said.

Tentatively, Bobbi climbed on behind him and wrapped her arms around his waist.

Bucky put on his Wayfarer sunglasses, started the engine, and guided the bike into traffic.

“Where are we going?” she asked again when they stopped at a street signal, but she received no answer.

Continuing down the boulevard a few more blocks, Bucky finally turned right and made a quick left turn into the alley behind an apartment building.

The assassin guided his bike into a small spot hidden from plain view and allowed Bobbi to climb off first. When she handed him his helmet, he placed it on the bike and led her to the stairs.

The building was quiet as they walked to a door at the end of a hallway. Unlocking it, he let her enter first and then closed the door behind them.

Not sure what to expect, Bobbi was surprised to see that the apartment was brightly decorated. Looking around, she saw sketch pads with drawings in varying stages of progress. On one wall hung a large watercolor landscape painting and in a corner, she saw an easel holding a blank canvas.

Turning to Bucky, she realized, “This is Steve’s place, isn’t it?”

He lifted his sunglasses from his face and rested them on the top of his head.

“He’s on that Avengers mission with Nat,” Bucky finally replied as he removed his jacket.

“Why are we here?” she asked softly.

Approaching her, he rested his forehead on hers and whispered, “Because today, you get what you want.”

“It’s not about what _I_ want, Bucky. It’s about what _you_ need.”

Taking her by the hand, he led her into Steve’s bedroom. There, he placed his sunglasses on the nightstand. He then removed his t-shirt revealing his muscular chest and well-defined abdominals.

When he started to unbuckle his belt, Bobbi laid her left hand on his right to stop him.

“Honestly, I don’t want you to do this for me,” she pled.

“I’m not doing this for you. For once, I’m doing something for _me,”_ he replied and continued to undress.

When the assassin was completely naked, he stood still and allowed her to slowly admire his chiseled body.

She had seen him naked before when they were on vacation with Daisy in Hawaii, but this time it was intentional.

She looked him up and down and when her eyes met his again, he threw back the sheets on Steve’s bed and sat down.

While Bucky watched, Bobbi removed her backpack and placed it on a chair in the corner. She removed her booties and tossed them aside. Slipping off her jacket, she then slowly pulled the white shell top over her head exposing her braless breasts which were small and perky.

Sliding her jeans past her narrow hips, she revealed a white thong underneath.

Seeing it, Bucky was reminded of the thong bathing suit that she wore in Hawaii – the suit that she bought to make her ex-husband Clint Barton (codename: Hawkeye) jealous.

When she was naked, the assassin studied her gaunt frame and was still amazed that because of the Super Serum, the rail-thin beauty in front of him could probably beat him on even her worst day.

Moving to the center of the bed, Bucky lay on his back.

“What are you doing?” Bobbi asked as she lay down next to him.

Confused, the soldier muttered, “Well, Nat usually wants to be on top.”

The scientist smiled but said nothing wanting him to choose.

Finally, Bucky smiled back, rolled over, and mounted her.

As he began to kiss her, she stopped him.

“Wait! Do you have a rubber?”

The assassin froze.

Embarrassed, he rolled off of her and confessed, “I’m sorry! I haven’t used one in a long time.”

“Why not?” she asked curiously.

“Nat can’t get pregnant. She’s sterile.”

When Bobbi looked confused, he explained.

“Black Widows are sterilized upon graduating from the Soviet’s Red Room program.

“Oh...I see...but _you_ weren’t?” she asked.

“No. Natasha’s a spy and I’m an assassin. A Widow’s primary objective is seduction. They seduce their targets, gain their trust, and then betray them. The program sterilized the Widows to prevent pregnancy. That way, there was one less thing to worry about.

“The assassin’s primary objective is termination. The sleeper agents like me were the elite assassins. We were kept in cryostasis and only activated for short periods of time to complete missions and to train. We were never expected to have sex, so there was no need to sterilize assassins."

“But you and Natasha had sex, didn’t you?” questioned Bobbi.

“We did. Some nights, I sneaked into her room and was punished every time I was caught with her.”

“Why did you keep doing it?” the scientist asked.

“Because she was the only one who showed me any kindness.”

“So, you feel that you owe it to her to be with her now?”

After considering the question for a few moments, Bucky turned away from Bobbi.

She was afraid that she had put him off. Then, she realized what he was doing.

Digging in the nightstand on the other side of the bed, Bucky said, “I think Steve’s got some rubbers in here.”

From behind him, Bobbi took the opportunity to admire his tight, defined buttocks. His skin was smooth and flawless, which she found quite arousing.

“Here’s one!” he said as he shut the drawer, shook the package, and rolled over to face her.

“Allow _me,”_   she said as she sat with her legs spread. She took the condom from him and tore open the packet with her teeth.

Bucky knelt between Bobbi’s thighs and smiled down at her.

She gently applied the condom and then kissed his abdomen where his hair trail began.

When she lay down again, he saw that the nipples of her small breasts were erect.

“Are you –” 

“Yes, I’m ready for you,” she said.

As Bucky lowered himself into her, Bobbi wrapped her long legs around him as she did when they fell atop the S.H.I.E.L.D. van when he extracted her from the A.I.M. warehouse a few days earlier.

Lovingly, she laid her left hand on his muscular right shoulder blade and caressed the left side of his face with her right hand.

He kissed her passionately as she had never been kissed before while he slowly penetrated her.

She thought of how much she and Daisy each wanted this in Hawaii, so she felt that she was somehow betraying their younger friend.

Gradually, Bobbi moved her right hand from Bucky’s face and guided it to the place where the back of his neck met his left shoulder. There, her finger found the tiny button that activated his left arm’s cloaking device and she pressed it firmly.

Bucky froze mid kiss and then pulled his face away from hers. His expression of shock took her by surprise.

They both watched his arm as the appearance of flesh disappeard and was replaced by metal.

“Why did you do that?” he demanded.

“I thought it would make you more comfortable,” she confessed.

“Nat’s the reason it was upgraded with the cloaking device. She told Nick that she hates the touch of my cold arm against her body.”

“I don’t hate it. I accept you as you are,” she said as she rested her right hand on this left shoulder covering its red star.

This made him want her even more, so he kissed her again and hastened his rhythm as he thrusted his hips harder and deeper.

Bobbi panted and moaned approvingly as her blonde tresses cascaded over the pillows.

Not since he was a teenager deployed to Germany during World War II had Bucky been with a woman who made sounds during sex. He and Natasha still made love in silence as was their habit during their time in the Red Room.

Concerned, he asked Bobbi earnestly, “Am I hurting you?”

“More!” is all she said as she smiled up at him.

He was happy to oblige although he remained concerned. Bobbi was much taller and somewhat thinner than Natasha was, and he worried about being too rough with her in spite of her super strength.

He loved hearing her moans because they were the sound of how much she wanted him.

When Bobbi came, she screamed loudly into his ear. A tear fell from her right eye and streamed down her face.

Bucky kissed it before it reached her jaw.

Realizing that he had stopped before he came, she whispered, “Finish.”

After a moment, he resumed his rhythm until he came as well.

Noting his silence during their lovemaking, she asked the soldier, “Why are you so quiet? Did I do something to upset you?”

“No. Red Room,” is all he answered.

She looked at him sympathetically but said nothing as the two remained coupled.

After some time passed, Bobbi remarked, “Clint would have been asleep and snoring ten minutes ago.”

Bucky gave a sharp laugh and replied, “He still owes me a thousand dollars from Poker – won’t pay up.”

“I heard that you punched him pretty good when you and the boys went drinking one night. Are you ever going to tell me why?”

Bucky thought about it as his left eye lashes brushed the right side of her forehead. He worried that if he ever told her or Natasha it was because Hawkeye made disparaging remarks about them, the rift between the two men would never heal and worse – they women might retaliate.

He simply said, “He talked trash about people I care about, so I clocked him.”

“Yeah, that sounds like Clint,” she replied.

They lay quietly for a few more minutes breathing in unison.

Suddenly, Bucky pulled out of her and rolled over leaving a pronounced gap between them in Steve’s double bed.

She looked decidedly sad as she stared at him thinking she had somehow ruined the moment and now repulsed him.

Leaning toward her, he slipped his metal arm under her shoulders and his right arm under her knees as he pulled her toward him.

“It’s wet there,” he informed her.

In awe, she remarked, “No one’s ever done that for me! Do you do that for ‘her?’” she asked referring to Natasha.

“Until recently, I was usually on the bottom. After she comes, she gets up and goes straight to the bathroom to shower.”

“Why is she so quick to wash you off of her?” the scientist wondered.

Staring at the ceiling, Bucky thought for a moment and slowly said, “Huh...I never thought of it that way. She once said it was a ‘girl thing.’”

Bobbi watched his face as he considered it a bit longer.

Finally, his face took on a sullen expression.

“Now, I’m a cheater just like Clint,” he despaired.

“Don’t you _dare_ compare yourself to Clint! You’re worth ten of him. Sometimes, I think he doesn’t care about anyone but himself.”

“It doesn’t change the fact that I’m cheating on Nat,” he replied.

“This is you finally doing something for yourself – remember?”

“It shouldn’t be about me. I’m a soldier. I follow orders and live a life of service. I took an oath to always fight to protect the little guy from bigots, racists, fascists, and bullies big and small. It should _never_ be about me,” he insisted.

“So, you think this makes you a bad person?” she asked.

“I’m already a bad person. Hydra made sure of that, but this certainly doesn’t make me any better.”

“Do you think you’re bad because you did something for yourself or because you feel that you cheated?”

“They’re pretty much the same thing, aren’t they?” he asked becoming disgusted with himself.

“Ouch...Well, I’m sorry you feel that way,” she replied.

Bobbi began to think that she should not be there.

“Thanks anyway for the condom. I’m just not ready to be pregnant again.”

Shocked, Bucky stared at the scientist.

“You had a _baby?”_   he asked in dismay.

“I was pregnant a while back, yes. I was surprised that Clint didn’t fly off the handle when I told him. He was actually happy, or at least it seemed that way. Then, on October 11, I had a miscarriage. The loss slowly drove a wedge between us. Neither of us realized it at the time, but I’m sure that’s what it was. I thought the baby would make him love me more and he’d stop cheating. After we lost her, Clint went back to his old habits, and I eventually divorced him.”

“But you took him back,” Bucky replied.

“I did after a while. You know Clint. He’s always thinking of one thing: the next conquest. Still, he convinced me that he could change and like a fool, I wanted to believe it. So, I took him back and before I knew it, he was cheating again.”

“Why ask you to take him back if he was only going to cheat on you again?”

“That’s the $64,000 question, my friend,” Bobbi said with a forced smile.

“I think he’s jealous of you,” Bucky proposed.

After a sharp laugh, Bobbi asked, “What would make you think _that?”_

“You’re like twenty times smarter than he is. You’ve got an IQ that’s through the roof, and you can hold your own with Tony Stark, Hank Pym, and Reed Richards – some of the biggest brains on the planet. You’re as strong as Captain America. Plus, thanks to the Infinity Formula, you might live forever but will probably look as young and beautiful as you do right now. So yeah, I think he’s jealous,” he concluded.

“Wow...You think deep thoughts, Bucky,” she replied genuinely amazed.

Ignoring her comment, he asked rhetorically, “With all that going for you, why would anyone want to cheat on you?”

“He’s got red in his ledger. I think he acts out sometimes because it gets to him.”

“I’ve got a lot of red in my ledger, too, but it doesn’t make me a cheater – not until today, anyway,” Bucky said.

“You’re not acting out _or_ cheating. You’re just doing something for _you!_ Like I said – don’t compare yourself to Clint. You’re nothing alike,” she reiterated.

Bucky took time to consider this.

Finally, staring at the ceiling, he quietly said, “I’m sorry you lost your baby.”

Leaning over, she kissed him on his left cheek and replied, “Thanks. Me too.”

He raised his metal arm and wrapped it around her.

Bobbi snuggled closer to him resting her head on his metal shoulder. She laid her left hand on his chest and slid her left leg between both of his.

“You’re one of my best friends, Buck,” she decided.

He kissed her tenderly on her forehead.

“I feel the same way about you.”

The two were quiet for some time.

Bucky finally broke the silence.

“You say you understand what I’ve been through, but you don’t know about all the aftereffects – the ‘episodes.’”

“You had one in Hawaii – remember? Daisy and I handled it,” she reminded him.

“You did? I don’t remember most of what happened.”

Without upsetting him with all the details and his attack on Daisy, she said, “You were in a bad way. You had a nightmare or something and woke up soaked with sweat. ‘Daise’ and I got you in and out of the shower and back to bed. You were practically catatonic through most of it.”

“Did you actually pick me up?” the assassin asked.

“Yeah. You’re not that heavy – at least not for me,” she laughed.

“So, you’ve already seen me naked,” he stated matter-of-factly.

“‘Daise’ and I undressed you, yes. We couldn’t shower you in your Barnes tartan pajama bottoms.”

Slightly embarrassed, he smiled.

“You’re not as big a handful as you think you are, Buck.”

“I don’t know whether to be glad you were there for me or mad that you saw me like that. Usually, if I’m upset and can feel an episode coming on, I go to my place so Nat doesn’t have to deal with it.”

“And if you don’t go...?”

“I don’t know how she puts up with it. It’s mostly the nightmares, but the trashing around has got to be nerve-racking for her.”

“Is there nothing that gives you relief?” she asked.

“Well, ever since she said I could keep my therapy cat, Sébastien, I’ve had fewer night terrors.”

“Whose idea was the cat?”

 “Remy LeBeau’s...You know – Gambit,” he said.

“Well, I’m glad Sébastien is doing you some good and that you could keep him.”

After a few moments, Bucky frowned and said, “Bob, no one can know about this. You’ve got to promise me you’ll never tell anyone – especially not Natasha,” he pled.

“Of course, I won’t!” she agreed.

“And this can’t happen again,” he said a bit quieter.

She could tell that he was as disappointed by that realization as she was.

After sulking for a few minutes, Bucky said, “We better go. There’s no telling when Steve and Nat will wrap their Avengers mission. At least the debrief should take a while. Come on! Let’s get moving.”

As they entered the bathroom, Bucky wrapped the spent rubber in a wad of toilet paper, shifted garbage in Steve’s trash can, and placed the paper near the bottom.

“Why are you hiding it so deep?” Bobbi asked curiously.

“Because like me, Steve notices _everything._ If I just toss it on top of the trash, he’ll see it and know that I used it. In fact, now that I think of it, I’ve got to strip his bed and wash the sheets,” he suggested.

Going back to the bedroom, he began to remove the bedding.

“I’ll help you,” Bobbi offered.

Making quick work of it, Bucky placed the sheets into Steve’s washer but did not start it.

Returning to the bathroom, Bucky turned on the shower and he and Bobbi both stepped into it.

As was his habit with Natasha, he lathered soap onto Bobbi’s breasts and in between her thighs. He wanted to make love to her again but reminded himself that it could not happen.

Scrubbing the assassin’s back, Bobbi was saddened by the fact that a man who seemed so perfect for her was committed to someone else. Still, they were friends, and she would have to live with that.

When they were finished and Bobbi began to towel dry, she noticed that Bucky just stood and watched her.

“What?” she asked confused.

“I have to use your towel because if I don’t, Steve will see that we used two and know that I brought someone here,” he replied.

“You’re joking, right? You really think of everything, don’t you?”

“It’s my job. That’s why I’m the best at what I do,” the assassin said earnestly.

She handed him her damp towel and when he finished drying himself, they went back to the bedroom and dressed in silence.

Bobbi twisted her hair into a long ponytail and then tied it into a bun on the back of her head.

“That’s a good look for you,” Bucky remarked.

“Thanks,” she said with a sweet smile.

The compliment helped to lighten the mood as the two lamented that this would be their only day of intimacy.

Fighting the urge to do it again, they put clean linen on Steve’s bed.

“Since Steve notices everything, how will you explain the different sheets?” she asked curiously.

“I’ll just tell him the truth – that I came over to get in a workout and slept in his bed,” the assassin replied frankly.

After’s a moment’s pause, the two laughed hysterically.

“Well, it’s the truth!” Bucky said when he was finally able to stop laughing.

“We better go,” Bobbi replied as she picked up her backpack and slid her arms into its straps.

Bucky took the used towel from the bathroom, put it in with the sheets in the washer, added detergent, and started the machine. Making sure that nothing else was out of place, he led Bobbi to the front door.

Pausing for a moment, he turned and stared at her.

“Are you ready, ‘Mrs. Johnson?’” he asked referring to their aliases on their Hawaiian vacation.

“I’m ready, “Mr. Johnson,’” she replied.

He opened the door and looked down the hall before letting her out ahead of him. Quietly shutting the door behind them, he made sure that it was securely locked.

Downstairs, Bobbi hugged Bucky tightly around his waist as he guided his motorcycle out of the alley and into traffic.

Along the way, they both wished that things were different and they could have more time together.

When they reached _Portfolio_ coffee shop, he stopped his bike behind her car and killed the engine.

Bobbi climbed off the back, removed his helmet, and handed it to him.

“Thanks for the helmet,” she said gazing down at it afraid to look him in the eye. Her heart was breaking and she did not want him to see her cry.

“My pleasure,” he replied.

As Bobbi walked to her car, Bucky climbed off his bike and followed her to the driver’s side door.

When she unlocked it, he opened the door allowing her to sit behind the wheel.

Leaning into the car, he kissed her tenderly on her naturally blushed lips and said, “See you around, Doc.”

“Take care of yourself, soldier,” she quietly replied gazing up at him.

Bucky closed the door and watched as the scientist started the car’s engine and carefully drove away.

*  *  *  *  *  *

Back at Natasha’s apartment, Bucky was lying on the living room carpet when he heard her key in the door knob.

As she appeared in the doorway, she saw him on his back with Sébastien sitting on his chest.

“Hey!” she called to him.

“Hey,” Bucky replied.

“James, please tell me you boys have been up to more than _that_ all day,” she remarked.

“We’ve been up to more. Right, buddy?” he said looking at his black therapy cat.

“Such as?” she asked as she removed her jacket and hung it on the coat hook next to the door.

“Such as –”

“Something smells good!” she interrupted.

“Such as dinner,” Bucky replied.

“You hate to cook,” she reminded him.

“I do, but I knew you’d be tired whenever you got back, so I roasted a chicken,” he said.

“Well, it smells wonderful and I’m starving. Let’s eat!” Natasha said removing plates from one of her kitchen cabinets.

She set the table as he carved the chicken.

Bucky put a few slices of breast meat aside and placed them in Sébastien’s bowl.

He added steamed broccoli to his and Natasha’s plates and put them on the table.

Sitting down across from him, the spy asked the assassin, “What else did you get up to today?”

Not meeting her gaze, he replied, “I went over to Steve’s for a workout.”

“Well, that sounds dull,” she joked.

“I didn’t expect you back so soon,” he replied staring down at his plate as he picked at his food.

“The mission was less involved than we originally thought but could be a prelude to something bigger. We’re not sure right now but watching the situation,” she said rather clinically.

Bucky knew that she could not discuss Avengers business with him, so her lack of details did not bother him.

He was only half listening to her as he was imagining that Steve must be home by now as well and about to notice the clean linen on his bed.

Just then, his cell phone buzzed in his pocket. Pulling it out, he saw that it was a text message from his lifelong friend.

“Fury?” Natasha asked hoping it was not Nick with a mission for Bucky.

“No, it’s Steve,” he replied as he started reading.

“I just left him. What’s he want?” she asked with her mouth half full of food.

Ignoring her question, he responded to Steve.

        **BrooklynBoy:** Why did u change my sheets?

        **SoldierBoy:** Over for a workout and fell asleep. Check the washer.

        **BrooklynBoy:** Didn’t need to do that, Goldilocks.

        **SoldierBoy:** Didn’t want to leave a mess.

        **BrooklynBoy:** Don’t be stupid.

         **SoldierBoy:** Can’t. U’ve got all the stupid w u.

Putting the phone down, Bucky returned to picking at his food.

“After all this hard work, you’re not hungry?” Natasha asked finishing her last bite of broccoli.

“You know what they say: ‘You get full just smelling it cook...’” he replied.

“Well, I’m going to shower while you finish yours,” she said as she took her plate to the sink.

Walking over to him, she kissed him on the top of his head.

“You can join me if you want, James,” she offered and turned to leave.

Bucky sat at the table feeling guiltier as the minutes passed. He did not particularly feel like joining her but knew that he should. She would figure that something was wrong if he did not.

Slowly, the assassin stood and walked toward the bathroom where the spy was already in the shower.

When he was out of sight, Sébastien leapt from the floor to a chair and then onto the table where he began to eat what was left on Bucky’s plate.

**Author's Note:**

> This is a “What If?” story – as in “What if Bucky Barnes did something for himself for once?” After writing “Extraction,” I wanted to reunite Bucky Barnes and Dr. Bobbi Morse. This story intentionally echoes the type of one-on-one conversational style of my first story “Swing Time” where Bucky visits Steve and they reminisce about their WWII days, and also Chapter 3: Curiosité of “The Assassin and the Thief” where Bucky and Remy LeBeau (Gambit) become better acquainted.
> 
> As in all of my stories, the relationship between Bucky and Natasha is based on storylines in the comics. I follow cues from the source material and create plot elements based on them. 
> 
> © 2016 Planet Press
> 
> The Marvel characters herein are the property of Marvel Comics which retains the rights. The character of Sébastien the Cat was created by this author.


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